Malliotakis on Reinstatement of Plea Deals for 9/11 Terrorists

(NEW YORK, NY) - Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11) today released the below statement following reports that a military judge overruled Defense Secretary Austin to restore plea deals with 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his associates that take the death penalty off the table:

"The decision made by Judge Matthew McCall to reinstate the pre-trial agreements with the monsters who orchestrated the worst terrorist attack on American soil is a travesty. These agreements were previously nullified by Secretary Austin who is granted the authority to do so as the leader of his department, under the Military Commission Act of 2009, and the military’s Manual for Military Commissions. Failing to hold these terrorists accountable for their crimes against humanity is forcing the families of those who lost their lives on that fateful day or in the war on terror, and the first responders still suffering and dying from 9/11-related illnesses, to relive the physical and emotional trauma they endured 23 years ago. President Biden must immediately step in, schedule a trial and swiftly put these monsters to death. If not, it’s my hope the incoming Trump Administration, which previously set a trial date, will deliver the long overdue justice that these families deserve.”

Last year, Malliotakis joined Texas Senator Ted Cruz in writing to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin urging the Department of Defense to scrap any possibility for a plea deal with 9/11 terrorists that takes the death penalty off the table.